Jesse Lingard has 'no interest' in talking to Erik ten Hag, says BBC
Jesse Lingard has no interest in talking to new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, report BBC Sport.
Lingard’s Manchester United spell has turned increasingly bitter after a nightmare 2021/22 season.
After a successful loan spell at West Ham last season, player and club decided he would stay last summer and fight for his place.
He was not given a proper opportunity by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Ralf Rangnick has only selected him for two Premier League starts – two more than Solskjaer did.
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Lingard has no interest in Ten Hag talks
Lingard’s contract expires at the end of the season. He is expected to leave as a free agent, although, BBC Sport reports Ten Hag would be open to a conversation with him before his contract winds down.
This won’t be happening. The report states: “BBC Sport understands Lingard has no interest in talking to the Dutchman.”
This makes it abundantly clear Lingard will leave as a free agent, which already seemed near certain. But Lingard won’t be talked around.
UItimately this is the correct decision, because Lingard should have left Manchester United two seasons ago, and has little left to offer the club.
However, if a manager like Ten Hag felt he could use him, you would think Lingard should be mature enough to at least hear him out.
Instead he plans to walk out the door and sign a new contract without even acknowledging the incoming manager.
Staying at United would be a gamble for Lingard, with the World Cup taking place at the end of the year. A strong start to the season at a new club could help him win back his spot for Qatar 2022.
Lingard has fallen out of favour, although he was pictured training with the first team today. His brother lashed out on Instagram this week, calling United ‘classless’ over failing to give him a farewell appearance at Old Trafford on Monday against Brentford.
The player seems to recognise there is no way back, even though Ten Hag may have been prepared to offer him an olive branch.
It’s unlikely Ten Hag had real plans for Lingard, but it would have been part of his thorough due diligence to at least explore the player’s situation. Instead the outgoing midfielder seems set to give the new United boss the cold shoulder.
